Midbrain Organoid Modeling Service

Creative Biolabs specializes in providing advanced human midbrain organoid (hMO) models, designed to accelerate breakthroughs in Parkinson’s disease (PD) research and drug discovery. By utilizing cutting-edge 3D cell culture technologies and patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), we deliver physiologically relevant tools to study disease mechanisms, test therapeutics, and personalize treatment strategies.

Understanding the Midbrain, Parkinson’s Disease, and the Need for Better Models

The midbrain is a critical brain region, home to dopaminergic (DA) neurons within the substantia nigra. These neurons play a vital role in regulating motor control and reward pathways. In PD, the selective degeneration of these neurons leads to dopamine depletion, causing hallmark motor symptoms like tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia. While traditional 2D cultures have contributed foundational insights, they often fall short in replicating the complex human midbrain circuitry and cellular interactions in a spatially organized microenvironment. And animal models often struggle to fully replicate human disease mechanisms due to inherent species-specific biological differences.

hMOs offer a significant step forward. These 3D self-organizing structures closely mimic the human midbrain’s diverse cell types, spatial organization, and functional connectivity, providing an unparalleled platform to study PD pathogenesis and therapeutic responses in a truly human-relevant system.

Advantages of Midbrain Organoids in PD Research

Our hMO models overcome traditional limitations through three key innovations:

• Human-Specific Pathological Recapitulation: hMOs derived from human iPSCs model PD hallmarks, including selective degeneration of DA neurons, α-synuclein aggregation, and Lewy body-like inclusions. Unlike animal models, hMOs replicate human-specific features like neuromelanin granules and molecular subtypes of midbrain DA neurons, enabling studies on selective neuronal vulnerability observed in PD.
• TH-Positive Dopaminergic Neuron Modeling: Midbrain organoids generated via 3D differentiation of expandable neural progenitors exhibit abundant TH-positive DA neurons that secrete functional dopamine, confirmed by immunostaining and ELISA. These organoids demonstrate robust recapitulation of PD pathology, including reduced DA neuron complexity in LRRK2-G2019S mutants, highlighting their utility for modeling neurodegenerative mechanisms and neurodevelopmental defects.
• Disease Modeling Precision: Patient-derived hMOs with PD-linked mutations (e.g., SNCA, LRRK2, GBA1) enable genotype-specific disease modeling and high-throughput drug screening. Studies have identified rescue strategies (e.g., autophagy enhancers) and validated drug candidates using hMOs, highlighting their potential for developing personalized therapies and bridging translational gaps in PD research.

Our Services: Tailored Solutions for PD Innovation

We offer end-to-end midbrain organoid services designed to meet the needs of academia and industry:

1. Custom hMOs Generation: Generate hMOs from your iPSC lines or use our bank of lines carrying PD-associated mutations (LRRK2-G2019S, SNCA triplication, PINK1/PARK2 knockouts). Models are validated for key markers (TH, FOXA2, DAT) and functional maturity.
2. PD Research: PD We provide neurotoxin-induced PD models (MPTP/6-OHDA) for toxicity assessment, oxidative stress studies, and neural stem cell-derived therapies. Our hMOs enable drug screening, α-synuclein reduction analysis (e.g., LRRK2 mutations), and preclinical validation of dopaminergic neuron transplantation to restore motor function in PD models.
3. Integrated Multi-Omics Analysis: Combine electrophysiology, metabolomics, and spatial transcriptomics to uncover novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Our Workflow

Why Partner With Us?

With expertise in neural patterning and organoid optimization, we ensure reproducibility, scalability, and compliance with regulatory standards. Our models are validated against human fetal midbrain datasets and integrate vascularization protocols to enhance survival and maturity.

By choosing our midbrain organoid services, you gain access to a transformative toolset for unraveling PD mechanisms and accelerating therapeutic discovery.

Contact us today to design a project tailored to your research goals!

Reference

1. Smits, Lisa M et al. “Modeling Parkinson's disease in midbrain-like organoids.” NPJ Parkinson's disease vol. 5 5. 5 Apr. 2019, doi:10.1038/s41531-019-0078-4. Distributed under Open Access License CC BY 4.0. The original image was modified.